CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -Â The Fighting Illini will return to Huff Hall on March 1 at 1 p.m. for Pride Night, facing off against Army and Greenville. Following the meet, Illinois will host its annual Ninja Warrior competition (sign up here).
About the Opponent
Illinois and Army last met in 2006, when the Illini came out on top. No. 11 Army enters the meet with a 1-2 overall record, securing its lone victory against William & Mary in its most recent competition. The Black Knights dominated in all but one event against William & Mary, and was led by senior Jojo Buselmeier, who earned multiple first-place finishes. Buselmeier claimed titles on floor (13.600), still rings (13.150), and parallel bars (13.000). Junior Maddox Pabellon took first on pommel horse (13.750), while Lester led the vault with a 14.100.
Illinois came out on top the last time they competed against Greenville in 2024. Greenville heads to Champaign after setting a season-high score of 309.350 against Nebraska, though ultimately falling to the No. 6-ranked Huskers. Freshman Ricky Mays secured the vault title with a 14.850, while sophomore Jaxon Clapper was named ECAC Gymnast of the Week after recording a personal best on floor (13.850). Clapper led the Panthers in scoring on both floor and parallel bars.
Last Time OutÂ
Four Illini—Hasan Aydogdu, Brandon Dang, Ian Sandoval, and Preston Ngai—qualified for the 2025 Winter Cup, a USA Gymnastics Senior National Team event. Despite injuries to Aydogdu and Sandoval, Ngai placed fourth on pommel horse and eighth on still rings. Dang, meanwhile, held onto his lead on pommel horse to win the USA Winter Cup title and was later named to the USA Gymnastics Senior National Team.
In the team's last meet at No. 4 Michigan, Dang posted a 14.800 on pommel horse to secure the event title, while Sandoval claimed the all-around title with a score of 78.550. Three Illini recorded new career highs against Michigan: Matthew Vu Nguyen (high bar - 13.400), Sandoval (pommel horse - 13.850, high bar - 13.150), and Dylan Shepard (parallel bars - 13.550).
Illini in the News
Dang continues his dominance, earning his third Big Ten Specialist of the Week honor of the season on Feb. 25—the fifth of his career. On Feb. 27, he was also named the CGA Specialist of the week. His success carried over to the 2025 Winter Cup, where he posted a 14.000 on pommel horse in Day 1 action on Feb. 21, securing a third-place finish and advancing to Day 2. In the fifth rotation, he delivered a 14.350 to bring his two-day total to 28.350, leading the field and holding that lead through the final rotation to claim gold. Later that evening, Dang was named to the USA Gymnastics Senior National Team and will represent the U.S. in three FIG World Cup Series events: Baku, Azerbaijan (March 6-9), Antalya, Turkey (March 20-23), and Cairo, Egypt (April 25-28).
For the third time this season, Ian Sandoval was named CGA Rookie of the Week, the College Gymnastics Association announced on Feb. 12. Following his two career-best performances on pommel horse and high bar, along with an all-around title win against then-No. 7 Michigan, Sandoval now ranks No. 1 nationally in the all-around. The Frisco, Texas, native has collected six weekly awards and five event titles in just four competitions. Additionally, both Sandoval and Brandon Dang earned Big Ten weekly honors on Feb. 11 for their standout performances against Michigan.
All Eyes On Us
- Preston Ngai and Garrett Schooley were named to this year's Big Ten Gymnasts to Watch list during the preseason.
- Both Ngai and Schooley were letterwinners for the Illini last season.
- Ngai competed in eight meets and showed up big in big moments, setting career highs at the Big Ten Championships (14.900 on vault) and NCAA Qualifiers (14.300 on pommel horse).
- Schooley also competed in eight meets and secured two event titles during the season (vault, all-around) as he repeatedly set and re-set career highs in all six events and the all-around.
Greater Goals, More Motivation
- Tate Costa, the reigning NCAA high bar champion, enters his junior year with a renewed sense of motivation for the season.
- After winning the high bar title in April 2024, Costa earned a spot at the 2024 Xfinity U.S. Gymnastics Championships at the end of May. He finished 25th overall to earn a spot on the USA Gymnastics Senior Development Team and the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Team Trials in June.
- Due to his successes and his can-do attitude, Costa was named a captain for the second-straight year.
- "This last season definitely gave me a sense of belief in what I'm capable of," Costa said. "I now have goals for the next four years. I want to make an Olympic team, make a World Championships team, make the Senior National Team. I want to set myself up to compete at international competitions and show that I'm ready to compete for the United States at the Olympic Games. On top of that, in terms of NCAA goals, I want to win more national titles."
Career Record: 39-22Â (.639), Third season
Big Ten: 7-4Â (.636), Third season
Complete Illinois Meet Notes (PDF)
